The first word that comes to mind when I think of
Larry Norman is "Unique". In a cookie cutter age when
everything is mass produced, Larry stood out, he
really stood out!
Only once did I meet Larry in person. It was 1972. I
was working for Scripture Union at their Wigmore
Street bookshop, in London, England. I was the clerk
in charge of music sales.
For several months Larry's album "Upon this Rock" had
been our number one seller by a considerable margin.
Larry came in to do a "Meet the Christian Press"
interview. Afterwards I spent a few moments with
Larry.
The man of profound lyrics and complex music turned out
to also be a man of simple faith and disarmingly
direct answers. There was nothing pretentious about
this guy. He told it like he saw it.
Many years later I was interviewed on Chiltern Radio.
Chiltern is a local station serving parts of the
English counties of Hertford****re and Buckingham****re.
I was asked to share three album tracks with the
audience. The interviewer, John Hanson, was surprised
that two of my three were Larry Norman tracks. Like
so many who had been young believers during the "Jesus
Revolution" years, Larry's influence on me had been
deep.
For those of us who wanted to live out Christian truth
outwith the shackles of religious denominationalism
Larry was a beacon of light ****ning over uncharted
waters.
Larry had his failures and made his mistakes. Yet,
his simple faith and spiritual drive shone thru.
In New Jerusalem we will meet many neighbors who came
to know Messiah, or were moved to a deeper
relation****p with Him, or were just plain encouraged
by Larry Norman's ministry.
Meanwhile we have the legacy of Larry's art as we
complete Our Messiah=92s mission.
Adrian Auer-Hudson
RENO, NEVADA
* * *
Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away
at 2:45 Sunday
morning. Kristin and I were with him, holding his
hands and sitting in
bed with him when his heart finally slowed to a stop.
We spent this past
week laughing, singing, and praying with him, and all
the while he had
us taking notes on new song ideas and instructions on
how to continue
his ministry and art.
Several of you friends here got to come and visit with
him in the last
couple of weeks and were a great source of help and
friend****p to Larry.
Ray Sievers, Derek Robertson, Mike Makinster, Matt
Simmons, and a few
more. Thank you guys. Larry appreciated your visits
very much. And he
greatly appreciated the thoughts, wishes, sup****t and
prayers that came
from all of you Army members on a daily basis. Thank
you for being part
of his small circle of friends over the years.
Yesterday afternoon he
knew he was going to go home to God very soon and he
dictated the
following message to you while his friend Allen
Fleming typed these
words into Larry's computer:
________________________________
I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with
God's hand reaching
down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for
months. My wounds
are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am
ready to fly home.
My brother Charles is right, I wont be here much
longer. I cant do
anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say
goodbye to
everyone. In the past you have generously sup****ted me
with prayer and
finance and we will probably still need financial help
My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some
flowers inside.
But still it will be costly because of funeral
arrangement,
trans****tation to the gravesite, entombment,
coordination, legal papers
etc. However money is not really what I need, I want
to say I love you.
I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest
effort. There will be
a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of
you want to
attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die.
Goodbye, farewell,
we will meet again.
Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.
Larry
________________________________________
Thank you to all of you who were so nice to my brother
over the years.
Kristin and I will post funeral information in the
next day or two.
Right now we're not able to function very well, but
the whole family is
here... our mother Margaret, our sisters Nancy and
Kristy, Mike Norman
and his new wife Tiffany, and Silver.
We miss him beyond words. Thank you for everything.
Peace to you all in Christ,
Charles Norman
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